FUNDAMENTO: A esfericidade do ventrículo esquerdo (VE) é fator associado com disfunção ventricular, mas não está bem caracterizada no modelo de ratos infartados. OBJETIVO: Analisar a relação entre o índice de esfericidade, a função ventricular e a área infartada no modelo experimental em ratos. MÉTODOS: Seis meses após infarto (IAM, n=33) ou cirurgia simulada (SHAM, n=18), os animais foram submetidos a ecocardiograma. O índice de esfericidade foi obtido pela razão entre as áreas diastólicas nos eixos maior e menor do VE. RESULTADOS: O grupo IAM apresentou menor índice de esfericidade (1,32 × 0,23 vs 1,57 × 0,33; p=0,002), de função sistólica e espessura relativa (0,13 × 0,003 vs 0,18 × 0,04; pFUNDAMENTO: La esfericidad del ventrículo izquierdo (VI) es factor asociado a la disfunción ventricular, sin embargo no está bien caracterizada en el modelo de ratones infartados. OBJETIVO: Analizar la relación entre el índice de esfericidad, la función ventricular y el área infartada en el modelo experimental en ratones. MÉTODOS: Seis meses tras el infarto (IAM, n = 33) o cirugía simulada (SHAM, n = 18), los animales fueron sometidos a ecocardiograma. El índice de esfericidad se obtuvo mediante la razón entre las áreas diastólicas en los ejes mayor y menor del VI. RESULTADOS: El grupo IAM presentó menor índice de esfericidad (1,32 ± 0,23 vs 1,57 ± 0,33; p = 0,002), de función sistólica y espesor relativo (0,13 ± 0,003 vs 0,18 ± 0,04; p BACKGROUND: The left ventricular (LV) sphericity is a factor associated with ventricular dysfunction, but it is not well-characterized in the experimental infarction model in rats. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the association between the sphericity index (SI), the ventricular function and the infarcted area in an experimental rat model. METHODS: Six months after the infarction (AMI, n=33) or simulated surgery (SHAM, n=18), the animals were submitted to an echocardiogram. The SI was obtained through the ratio between the diastolic areas at the LV long axis and the short axis. RESULTS: The AMI group presented the lowest index of sphericity (1.32 × 0.23 vs 1.57 × 0.33; p=0.002), systolic function and relative thickness (0.13 × 0.003 vs 0.18 × 0.04; p<0.001) and the highest index of parietal stress (1.27 × 0.33 vs 0.88 × 0.25; p<0.001). There was a significant correlation between the infarct size and sphericity (p=0.046). At the linear regression analysis, the infarct size (p=0.014), but not the sphericity (p=0.683) and the parietal stress (p=0.176), was the predictive factor of the systolic function. Eccentric remodeling (p=0.011), but not sphericity (p=0.183) or the infarct size (p=0.101), was a predictive factor of parietal stress. Additionally, the infarct size (p=0.046), but not the eccentric remodeling (0.705), was a predictive factor of sphericity. The infarct size (p=0.015) and the parietal stress (p=0.011), but not the sphericity (p=0.705), were the predictors of eccentric remodeling. CONCLUSION: The sphericity is associated, but it is not a determinant factor of parietal stress, of eccentric remodeling and ventricular systolic function in an experimental infarction model in rats.